Rocking platform for therapeutic treatments



Jan. 11, 1938. c. E. SANDERS ET AL ROCKING PLATFORM FOR THERAPEUTIC TREATMENTS Filed July 22, 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Cittomeg Jan. 11, 1938. c. E. SANDERS ET AL ROCKING PLATFORM FOR THERAPEUTIC TREATMENTS Filed July 22, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 5 r 0 1. 1 Q n n 3 GTE. 96272616 1 Torre.

JA. a R 717) Patented Jan. 11,

This invention relates and more especially to a muscle or elastic tissue and is designed particularly for treatment of patients suffering from persistent oedema or dropsy, .miscardial or where strenuous exercise would prove hazardous, disabilities rendering physical exercise impossible, confinement in bed for a long period, fractures with delayed union, colitis, certain kidney stasis,

tic tissue tone to the blood vessels.

slow oscillation the force of gravity ROCKING PLATFORM FOR THERAPEUTIC TREATMENTS Clarence E. Sanders, James A. Cannon, and Harry H. Howell, Kansas City, Mo., assignors, by direct and mesne assignments, to Clyde Leavengood, trustee, of Kansas City, Kans.

Application July 22, 1935, Serial No. 32,550

Referring now to the drawings in detail, I indicates a skeleton base frame of proper strength and size to safely carry a support, such as a hospital bed 2 of any suitable type, the showing herein indicating merely the frame. As shown 5 by Figure l, the skeleton frame is equipped with similar arch shaped racks 3 at each side, and the support with straight rack bars 4 disposed longitudinally of the support and intermeshed with 2 Claims.

to therapeutic appliances, ppliances for redeveloping tone in the blood vessels,

valvular heart disease gastro enteroptosis and and superimposed relative to the arch-shaped m diseases due to venous racks. In this connection, it will be noted that intermittent claudication and other as an alternative construction, not shown, the troubles which may be relieved or perhaps wholly frame y b pp with the Straight rackeradicated by the restoration of muscular or elasars a d t supp t w h t ap d a k in which case the latter would be disposed in in- More specifically our object generally is to proverted position. vide an appliance for automatically effecting The p w r m h nism disclo ed is in fixed reof a support, such as a bed or the lation to the base frame, the latter carrying a like, so constructed that it is possible to utilize horizontal p at 5 p which stands a motor chiefly to either the h ad or 6, shown as of electric type, and a housing I. an

pedal extremities or to both. A further object is to provide for effecting a. shift in the arc of oscillation, that is, for

assume a sharper gradient or incline one extremity of its oscillation.

A still further object is confining the oscillation to a smaller range than normal without adjustment of or change in the mechanism utilized to operate the pitman through which the power is applied to rock the support.

vention consists in cert tures of construction and organization of parts as hereinafter described and claimed; and in order that it may be is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in

which:-

pliance embodying Figure 3 is a vertical of Figure 2.

elevation embodying a modified mount for a bed or the like, and a modified construction for shifting the arc vation embodyin shortening the arc of oscillation of the support.

Figure 6 is a detail pe tachment coupling the and showing the utilization of the power mecha- The shaft of the motor is coupled to a short shaft 8 journaled in the housing and equipped therein with a worm 9 enmeshed with a suitably journaled worm-wheel Ill secured on a longitudinally extending shaft ll journaled in the housing, and 2 shaft l I carries a worm l2 enmeshed with a. worm wheel IS on a cross shaft i4 journaled in the housing and equipped at the ends with disks or wheels l5, provided with alined outwardly projecting wrist pins i6.

causing the support, to when at to provide means for With the objects mentioned in view, the in- A pi man ll f p i a e members, for alterain novel and useful feanately apply n a push a d a p on th upp t to effect the desired oscillation thereof, is pivotally connected at corresponding ends to the wristfully understood, reference pins l6 and one end of the support. By actually shortening or lengthening the pitman members or without change in their length, by disposing Figure 1 is a side elevation of a therapeutic apthem at a different angle to the plane of the supth i ti a d showing port (see Figure 4) the arc of travel of the support will be shifted, that is to say, the foot end of 40 the support-assuming that such is the end thereof to which the pitman members are connectedsection on the line III-III will descend and ascend respectively to different levels if the said members are either actually Figure 4 is a fragmentary diagrammatic side or relatively shortened as suggested, whereas if the said members are actually or relatively lengthened, the swing of the foot end of the supof oscillation. port will be between more elevated high and low Figure 5 is a fragmentary diagrammatic elelevels. This will be readily apparent by reference a toggle attachment for to Figure 1, if we assume that the wrist pin is stationary, as in the reduction of the length of rspective of the toggle atthe pitman the support 2 must rock, the foot end base frame and support, descending. The contrary is true if the pitman is lengthened, actually or relatively. d contracting the toggle. In the preferred construction, the pitman memnism for expanding an bers arc of telescopic type, corresponding members thereof being pivoted to the wrist-pins and to bolts l8 carried by upstanding lugs IS on the foot rail of the support. The outer ends of the inner sections of the pitman, are connected by a crow-bar 20, and the other or outer sections,

near their outer ends, by a similar cross-bar 2|,

and the cross-bars have centrally-disposed depending lugs 22 and 23. A screw rod 24 is in threaded relation to lug 23 and in swivelled, but longitudinally fixed, relation to lug 22, so that when turned in one direction the pitman 6 is shortened to effect depression of the foot end, reversed screw action effecting lengthening of the pitman and upward motion of the foot end of the support. The speed of the motor through the reducing transmission gearing will give a constant but slow oscillatory movement of the support and by means of a push button or equivalent switch, not shown, the person in charge or a patient on the support, can at an opportune moment, even break the'electric circuit to retain the support stationary when horizontal or at any inclination within the range of oscillatory movement; the reestablishment of the circuit through the motor being followed by resumption of the oscillatory action.

In Figure 4, the support is mounted on and fixed axis 25 at the upper oscillates around a end of standards 26 upstanding from the sides of the base frame, and in this construction, the support is shown with depending lugs 21 having slots 28 receiving a cross-bolt 29 to which the outer ends of pitman members 30, shown as of fixed length, are pivoted, the opposite ends of the said members being pivoted to the wrist-pins IS. The cross rod has clamping nuts 3| to secure it at any desired point in the length of the slots 28, adjustment of the rod toward or from the support, effecting a shortening or lengthening of the pitman relative to the support, with the result of shifting the are through which the support swings, as hereinbefore explained.

In the event, it is desired to impart a very limited oscillation to the support 2, a toggle at tachment is provided between corresponding ends of the base frame and support, and the toggle attachment .is expanded and contracted by pit-- man I 1, which, in this instance, may be of fixed length (see Figure 5), or of the adjustable type as in Figure 6. The toggle comprises members or hooked to a cross bar 32 detachably pivoted la of the base frame, and toggle members 33 pivotally pendent from the support and. pivoted above their lower ends to members 32.. The lower ends of members 33 are connected by a crossrod 34, and betweensaid members 33 and depending from cross-bar 2| of the pitman, is a. pair of forks 35, which pivotally engage cross rod 34. The arrangement is such that the pitman I! in its reciprocatory movement, alternately expands and contracts the tog'gle attachment and efl'ects but limited oscillatory movement of the support, as indicated by the dotted positions of the latter in Figure 5.

To depict more clearly how the shift of the arc is accomplished in the type of structure wherein the pitman is actually non-adjustable as to length, but is relatively changed in length, Figure 4 discloses diagrammatically the disk, the supmrt and the connecting pitman. Let a represent the position of the support when the pitman connects with the slotted lug about midway the length of the slot, the support being shown in a horizontal position. If it is desired to shift the are of oscillation of the support so that the connected end of the support shall start from a. lower plane, but without changing the length of the arc, the nuts 3| are loosened and the adja cent end of the support is depressed as at b, this adjustment changing the angular relation between the support and pitman. Should it be desired to raise the adjacent end of the support to a higher plane than the horizontal as at 0, such adjustment can be made, the limit of such movement being the lower end of the slot.

The specialist in charge will determine the arc of oscillation which he considers the most beneficial to the patient treated, initially or at any time in the course of the treatment, and in some cases, he may deem it advisable that the are described shall be more extended at one end of the support than at the other, and with the construction shown by Figure 1, this can be eflfected by simply shifting the bed longitudinally relative to the rack sector, that is to say, the support can be lifted off the sector and then replaced thereon with the end of the former destined to describe the shorter ,arc, nearer the center of the rack than its opposite en This adjustment, if the actual or relative length of the pitman is not disturbed, shifts the are as hereinbefore explained, so that if it is desirable to have one end describe a longer are than the other without shifting the center of the are, there must be effected a compensating actual or relative lengthening or shortening of the pitman.

In a case where it is desired to oscillate the support through a very short are, the pitman is detached from the support, and the toggle is utilized to connect the latter with astationary point of the supporting frame. The forks of the pitman, functionless where the latter is connected directly to the support, are engaged with the cross bar 34 of the toggle member 33. The rotation of the disks, through the pitman, alternately expands and contracts the toggle and thereby effects the desired short are movement of the support, as will be apparent by reference to Figure 5. The length of the are can be varied by a shortening or lengthening of the pitman of the telescopic type, or of such adjustment as shall vary the distance between the frame rod la and the forks 35 of the pitman if of nonextensible type as shown by Figure 5.

In practice, it is contemplated that the transmission shall be of such nature that the support shall make one complete oscillation in approximately four minutes with standard motor speed, faster or slower movement being secured by motor control or other conventional means, not shown.

The term support is used generically to include operating tables, chairs and cots or beds, lacking foot supports, as well as regular invalid beds, the latter, of the modern type, usually having equipment for supporting a patient in a sitting position or for holding the legs arched, that is bent to elevate the knees above the head and feet when the patient is in a full reclining position, or above the feet when the patient is in afii'tting position. As such conventional equipment forms per se, no part of the invention, although of value in the use of the latter, it is neither detailed nor particularly described herein.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that while we have produced apparatus involving all of the features set forth as desirable, it is to be understood that we reserve the right to make all changes within the spirit of the invention and without the ambit of the prior art.

We claim:

1. In apparatus for therapeutic treatment, a base frame and an oscillatory bed frame superimposed upon the base frame for oscillatory movement thereon, a toggle connection between one end of the bed frame and the corresponding end of the base frame, the toggle comprising two arms pivotally jointed together at their adjacent ends, a motor-driven shaft, a wrist-pin actuated for circuitous travel by and around the axis of the shaft, and a pitman pivoted at one end to the wrist pin and at the other end to the arm of the toggle directly attached to the bed frame and at a point on said toggle at the opposite side of the joint thereof from the point of attachment of the toggle to the bed frame.

2. In apparatus for therapeutic treatment, a base frame and an oscillatory bed frame superimposed upon the base frame for oscillatory movement thereon, a toggle connection between one end of the bed frame and the corresponding end of the base frame, the toggle comprising two arms pivotally Jointed together at their adiacent ends, a motor-driven shaft, a wrist-pin actuated for circuitous travel by and around the axis of the shaft, and a pitman comprising two sections fitting telescopically together, the inner section being pivoted to the wrist pin and provided with a lug at its outer end, and the outer section having a lug and having a hook pivotally engaging the toggle section attached to the bed frame at a point of said toggle section at the opposite side of the joint of the toggle from the point of attachment of the latter to the bed frame, and a rotatable screw in threaded engagement with the lug of the outer section of the toggle and'in swivelled but non-slidable engagement with the lug of the inner toggle section for respectively effecting expansion or contraction of the toggle to effect a shift in the arc of oscillation of the bed frame.

CLARENCE E. SANDERS.

JAMES A. CANNON.

HARRY H. HOWELL. 

